Members
Ryoji Yamaguchi, guitar
Guitarist Ryoji Yamaguchi is a versatile performer, arranger, and composer who is active in classical, pop/rock, ethnic, and other styles of music. Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1981, he has lived in several countries since childhood, including Greece, Mexico, Japan, El Salvador, and the United States. Ryoji began playing violin at age five, and then at age 16, switched to guitar. Ryoji holds both a bachelor’s and master’s in Classical Guitar Performance from the University of Miami Frost School of Music, where he studied with Dr. Rene Gonzalez. Current and past groups/projects include: the fusion Andean group Inca Spirit; rock bands Caña, deafcayxxx, and Mess Anger (Universal Music Group); instrumental outfits Ensemble Otodama, Duo Aquarelle with Taichi Akutsu, and Susana Behar's Sephardic Music Ensemble. Ryoji has also worked with Hajime Nishi, Harmonic Motion, Junko Ohtsu, and Earl “Chinna” Smith of Bob Marley and the Wailers. In February of 2004, Ryoji won the second prize at the first Miami International Guitar Competition. His group Caña also won a prize at a competition held by the Hard Rock Café in Miami the same year. From May 2008 to August 2009, while remaining active as a performer, Ryoji was also a faculty member at the SoBe Music Institute. In March of 2009, he recorded for Tsugaru Shamisen player Hajime Nishi’s debut CD, which was released in Japan on March 1st, 2009.
Born in Sapporo, Japan, Erika Sato began playing piano at the age of 3, and started to play the violin at the age of 9. In 2000, she entered the Kunitachi College of Music as a violin major. At the same time, she also began playing double bass for the college's Modern Jazz Society. Shortly thereafter, Erika was performing in Tokyo's Jazz music scene. Her interest in contemporary Jazz, traditional Japanese music, and other world music led to collaborations and performances with saxophonist John Zorn, drummer Marty Morrell from the Bill Evans band, Tokyo Minzoku Ongaku (collaboration with traditional Gagaku orchestra musicians), Solid Nexus, Wouassi and Roots Band, Seeker for Peace, and many others. Her group Solid Nexus won the first prize at the Gibson Jazz Guitar competition. Tokyo Minzoku Ongaku also won 2nd prize in 2005, and 1st prize in 2006 at competitions held by the Japan Folk Music Society. Sato currently performs with groups mentioned above, various Jazz session groups, and Ensemble Otodama led by Ryoji Yamaguchi.
Born in to a musical family, Takashi Kaneko began to learn piano and trumpet at an early age and started playing drums as he entered middle school. After performing with many bands, he received a djembe from a friend, a gift which inspired him to be a percussionist. Takashi studied with Gen Date, the percussionist from Orquesta de la Luz. He also went to Cuba to study with Albert Rodriguez and Roland Salgado from Afro Cuban All Stars. After returning to Japan, Kaneko began to perform and record with numerous groups. He has also collaborated with DJs and dance groups.
Marco Haber, hand percussion
A native of NYC, Marco Haber was introduced to percussion at age of three when he was enrolled in a rhythm class for young children. As a teenager, he traveled to the Middle East on a trip that would set in motion what has become a life-long passion for the expression of rhythm through drumming. Today, after decades of musical exploration, practice and performing, Marco captivates his audience with an unusual style that regularly prompts the question - "How the %+@# does he do that?" Marco's career as a professional percussionist began in college where he landed a gig playing for a modern dance troupe. Since that time he has been on the bill with national acts such as Eric Anderson, Michael Glabicki (lead singer from Rusted Root), and Foghat, and has played extensively in the United States as well as England. Currently he is an active member of a Latin wold music group, NuncaSiempre and also performs with Sephardic Music Ensemble.
Collaborators
Kiji Nishikata, shamisen
Ponko Hoya, bandoneon
Born in Tokyo, Japan, Taichi Akutsu began violin lessons at the young age of five. Having received his undergraduate degree from the Tokyo College of Music, he then acquired a performance diploma from the Mannes College of Music and a master of music in orchestral performance from the Manhattan School of Music where he studied with the New York Philharmonic concertmaster Glenn Dicterow. Taichi joined the New World Symphony in 2006, under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. He has served as concertmaster for the New World Symphony and the Manhattan School of Music Orchestra, and as a second violin principal of the Kurt Masur Conducting Seminar Orchestra. Additionally, he has appeared as a soloist with the Manhattan School of Music Chamber Sinfonia and has been a participant of the Bowdoin Summer Music Festival in Maine and the Mozarteum International Summer Academy in Salzburg, Austria. He is currently on the faculty at the SoBe Music Institute in Miami Beach. Music education is also a passion for Taichi, as is exemplified by his daily teachings at the SoBe Music Institute, where he encourages creativity and music in the lives of children and family.
Federico Bonacossa completed his Masters degree in Guitar Performance under the instruction of Julian Gray at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland. He also holds a diploma from the Conservatorio Statale Pierluigi da Palestrina in Cagliari, Italy. He is currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Guitar Performance on a full scholarship as well as teaching assistantship at the University of Miami. He has performed extensively in both solo and chamber music settings as well as in collaboration with theater groups. While he normally performs classical music, including his own compositions, he has recently been involved in different projects including collaborations with Sephardic Jewish singer Susana Behar and the Ensemble Otodama.
A recent graduate of the University of Miami, cellist/bassist Greg Byers is one of the most respected up-and-coming performers in the jazz scene today and has already performed in 10 countries to crowds of over 15,000 people. To his credit, he has shared the stage with iconic figures such as Lissette, Willy Chirino, Bruce Hornsby, Will Lee, Steve Miller, Patti Austin, Die Artze, Shelly Berg, Barry Harris, Fred Wesley, Clarence Reid (a.k.a. Blowfly), and many others. A native of Rochester, New York, Greg first began studying cello at the young age of three. At 16, he was introduced to jazz by a friend in his school's jazz band. He soon attended the Berklee School of Music for a summer program and began to focus more on improvised music. When Greg attended the University of Miami, he began to study both the acoustic and electric bass. Greg graduated Summa Cum Laude with a double major in Studio Music and Jazz and Classical Performance, and he is the first jazz cellist to graduate from the University of Miami. He is currently working on a solo EP of original material and is also involved with Juke, Breakup Season, Raquel Sofia, Hammlertime, the Samurai Conglomerate, and his own solo projects.
Joe Rehmer, bass
In 1984 Joe Rehmer was born in the rural city of Woodstock, Illinois. The cartoon Dick Tracy was created there, as was the movie Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray. In 1996 Joe began playing Nirvana songs on the guitar. His first public performance was in the 6th grade talent show. He played a Nirvana song. It was also the year the Smashing Pumpkins (from neighboring Lake in the Hills, IL) released Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. After playing power chords in the junior high jazz band for a year, Joe switched to bass. He remembers being quite fond of playing the song “Spinning Wheel.” In high school he began playing upright bass. Show choir, marching band, wind ensemble, a cappella choir, and jazz band were his specialties. In 2002 Joe moved to Miami to attend jazz school. He has performed a lot in Europe and the U.S. He currently lives in Miami and has a band called Tazer Room. He also collaborates and performs with Airship Rocketship (MIA), Landon Knoblock trio (NYC), Dan Kinzelman quartet (Foligno, IT), Joe Rehmer Quartet (Torino, IT), Jesse Jackson (MIA). Joe has just released his first album on Atomisk Records.
Brian Potts is a percussionist who performs in the classical, Latin, Brazilian, and pop styles. He is currently a Teaching Assistant under Dr. Ney Rosauro at the University of Miami, where he instructs private lessons and the Percussion Ensemble B, and also participates in the Brazilian and salsa ensembles. He has performed at the PASIC International Percussion Festival, and alongside eminent musicians such as Ney Rosauro, Nestor Torres, and Victor Mendoza. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degree in Percussion Performance from the University of Miami and is now active as an instructor and performer.
Born in Saitama, Japan, Masami Adachi began playing piano at age five but took a hiatus after elementary school. She later rediscovered her passion for playing and received a bachelor's degree from the University of South Florida, where she studied with Averill Summer. Masami also performed in the master class of Arthur Greene. She then attended the Florida International University studying with Kemal Gekić and received master's degree in Piano Perormance. Her graduate recital covered pieces by Bach, Debussy, Shchedrin, Medtner, and Liszt. Stay tuned for more from Masami!